Coastal Carolina’s football schedule in 2017 and beyond is starting to take shape as the Chanticleers enter the Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Sun Belt Conference.

The Chanticleers have agreed to a three-year agreement with Big 12 member Kansas beginning in 2019, and have learned their conference opponents for this upcoming season.

CCU will travel to Lawrence, Kan., on Sept. 7, 2019, host the Jayhawks on Sept. 26, 2020, and return to Kansas on Sept. 11, 2021.

A basketball powerhouse, Kansas has struggled mightily in the Big 12 in football over the past decade. Since 2009, Kansas has gone 4-65 in conference games and 19-77 overall. The Jayhawks went 2-10 this past season with wins over Rhode Island and Texas.

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“Clearly we don’t want to play Alabama or Clemson,” CCU head coach Joe Moglia said. “We want to play a game that we think will be reasonably competitive, but the dates have to work, and what you are in 2016 doesn’t mean anything with regard to how you’ll be in 2019. But they are a Power 5 Conferences school and to be able to play at their place, our place and their place is pretty cool. A lot of times in these situations you play at their place and get a guarantee [payment] and that’s it. I’m excited for the opportunity for our players and fans.”

They are a Power 5 Conferences school and to be able to play at their place, our place and their place is pretty cool. A lot of times in these situations you play at their place and get a guarantee [payment] and that’s it. I’m excited for the opportunity for our players and fans.

Coastal Carolina head coach Joe Moglia

Though the full 2017 Sun Belt Conference intra-conference football schedule isn’t expected to be released until March 1, the league did name which schools would be facing each other both at home and on the road this upcoming season.

Each of the league’s 12 teams will play four conference home games and four conference road games.

Coastal Carolina will host Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Texas State and Troy, will travel to Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Idaho and Louisiana Monroe, and will not play league members New Mexico State, South Alabama and Louisiana Lafayette.

The 2017 conference schedule should be challenging for the Chants based on 2016 results, as Appalachian State and Arkansas State tied for the regular-season conference title with 7-1 league records, both Troy and Idaho went 6-2 in the conference, and the four teams combined to go 37-15 overall.

“That’s certainly going to be a challenging schedule for us, but over time we’re going to be playing all of these teams anyway,” Moglia said. “We’re looking forward to getting started in the Sun Belt. It’s not going to be easy so as coaches and players we have to get ready.”

CCU has previously stated its lone Football Championship Subdivision opponent in 2017 will be Western Illinois.

Without further changes, the Sun Belt will be down to 10 league members in 2018 with the departures of Idaho and New Mexico State at the conference’s behest.